Big East could soon break apart

(Sports Network) - The Big East, as presently constituted, is about to become
a thing of the past, but a new Big East could soon emerge.

The conference's presidents are slated to begin meetings Friday and reports
have indicated that the seven Catholic schools that have already decided to
withdraw from the ever-changing league want to keep the Big East name for
themselves.

According to an ESPN report, the seven schools -- DePaul, Georgetown,
Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and Villanova -- will be part of
a new Big East that will also include current Atlantic 10 members Butler and
Xavier. Creighton, the report said, could also be asked to join.

It was in December when the seven non-FBS football schools decided that enough
was enough and decided to part with the current Big East to pursue a new
basketball-featured framework.

Over the course of the past 14 months, the Big East has had West Virginia
depart for the Big 12 and three other football members -- Pittsburgh, Syracuse
and Louisville -- announce plans to leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Additionally, Rutgers accepted an invitation to join an expanded Big Ten and
Notre Dame -- a Big East member in all sports except football -- also decided
to join the ACC under those same stipulations.

The Big East formed in 1979, primarily as a men's basketball conference, with
Syracuse, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall, Connecticut and
Boston College as original members.

It has grown exponentially, adding and subtracting members along the way,
prior to its current configuration of 16 teams.

Despite the latest defections, the conference had planned a 12-team football
league for next year with holdovers Connecticut, Cincinnati, South Florida and
Temple -- which was football-only in 2012 -- joined by soon-to-be departing
Louisville and Rutgers as well as incoming Central Florida, Houston, Memphis,
SMU, Boise State and San Diego State.

However, Boise State and San Diego State elected to remain in the Mountain
West. Louisville and Rutgers are set to stay in the Big East for the 2013-14
academic year before departing to their respective new leagues, but could now
seek to opt out this summer, although football schedules for the ACC and Big
Ten have already been formulated for the fall.

In essence, the remaining members of the old Big East, left to form a new
conference, would be Connecticut, Cincinnati, South Florida, Temple, Central
Florida, Houston, Memphis and SMU.